College Football Sneak Peek 2014-2015

It has been less than 24 hours since Jameis Winston led the Florida State Seminoles but it is never too early to think about next year, which will ring in the new playoff era. Here is my extremely early Top 5 for next season and my thoughts on the Heisman for 2014-2015. Take everything with a grain of salt considering there are still 233 days until next year and a lot could happen in that span.

1. Florida State 14-0 in 2013

Jameis Winston

Next year FSU is going to be everybody's favorite for the national title because of one big reason: sophomore quarterback Jameis Winston, in what will likely be his last year in Tallahassee (he will be three years removed from high school, meaning he is eligible for the NFL). The Seminoles will have a ton of offensive playmakers to go along with "Famous Jameis" including senior back Devonta Freeman, junior receiver Kelvin Benjamin and senior tight end Nick O'Leary. Although the defense will lose linebacker Christian Jones and defensive back Lamarcus Joyner, the defensive line could be among the nation's best with senior Timmy Jernigan up the middle and junior end Mario Edwards. Considering how weak the ACC will be next year, Florida State could roll to a national championship.

2. Stanford 11-3 in 2013
The Cardinal have been the most dominant program in the Pac-12 the past couple of years, and now it is time they take the next step: a national championship. Linebacker Shayne Skov has now graduated and back Tyler Gaffney is also gone on the offensive end. Though, Stanford returns junior quarterback Kevin Hogan and senior offensive linemen David Yankey, an All-American last season. The defense was one of the nation's best overall last year and even with Skov gone, senior safety Ed Reynolds and senior Henry Anderson should continue to give offenses real troubles. Oregon is still a threat inside the conference but Stanford is still the favorite inside the Pac-12.

3. Alabama 11-2 in 2013
It was a disappointing end to the year for Alabama and they will be without A.J. McCarron and linebacker C.J. Mosley, two of the best players in Alabama history. But, counting out Alabama with Nick Saban at the helm would be silly. The offense will still be led by the combination of junior back T.J. Yeldon and sophomore Derrick Henry. The offense could be lethal still, if Amari Cooper can regain his freshman form and the offensive line returns senior tackle Cyrus Kouandjio. Even with Mosley gone and safety HaHa Clinton-Dix likely off to the NFL, the defense should still be fantastic. Senior linebacker Trey DePriest is still likely coming back and junior safety Landon Collins could have a breakout season.

4. Auburn 12-2 in 2013
No matter what happens this season, Auburn should still be a real threat inside the SEC if both Nick Marshall and Tre Mason come back. Marshall and Mason will both be seniors and they make this rush-orientated offense move. Along with junior receiver Sammie Coates and speedster Ricardo Louis the Auburn offense could be one of the most exciting to watch in the nation. Although the defense will lose defensive end Dee Ford and cornerback Chris Davis, sophomore Carl Lawson could have a big year after a solid freshman campaign.

5. Michigan State 13-1 in 2013
If not for a close loss to Notre Dame early in the season when the offense was playing terrible Michigan State might have ended up in the national championship with a chance to shut down Winston and the 'Noles. Junior quarterback Connor Cook was fantastic last year and along with senior back Jeremy Langford the offense could be vastly improved. The defense will be without their leader Max Bullough but they won the Rose Bowl without him. Junior defensive end Shilique Calhoun could be dominant this year.